Accenture Research Finds Most Professionals Believe They Can “Have it All”

New global research from Accenture, titled “Defining Success,” has found
that more than two-thirds of female professionals around the world – and
the same number of male respondents – say they can “have it all.” In
fact, having both a successful career and a full life outside work is so
important that many choose a job based on its potential impact on
work-life balance.

Seventy percent of both women and men believe they can have a successful
career as well as a full life outside work – however, 50 percent also
said they cannot “have it all at the same time.” Further, more than half
(52 percent) say they have turned down a job due to concerns about its
impact on work-life balance. In fact, work-life balance tops
respondents’ definitions of career success, ahead of money, recognition
and autonomy (cited by 56 percent, 46 percent, 42 percent and 42
percent, respectively).

“Over the course of their careers, professionals will continue to define
and re-define what success looks like,” said Adrian Lajtha, Accenture’s
chief leadership officer. “For many, career goals and personal
priorities will take precedence at different times. As today’s
professionals strive to find the right balance, leading companies will
find innovative ways to help them develop, grow and thrive.”

The research also found that technology plays a role in achieving
work-life balance, although respondents express mixed feelings about its
impact on their personal lives. More than three quarters (77 percent)
agree technology enables them to be more flexible with their schedules,
and 80 percent report that having flexibility in their work schedule is
extremely or very important to work-life balance. Yet 70 percent say
technology brings work into their personal lives.

“The fact that finding the right approach to integrating career and life
demands continues to be critically important to employees is significant
for employers,” said Nellie Borrero, managing director – global
inclusion & diversity, Accenture. “Companies that can help their
employees navigate both their professional and personal lives are likely
to see strong employee engagement and enjoy an advantage as they recruit
and retain high performers.”

The Accenture research also covers a wide range of work-related topics
that help define success in the workplace, including:

Job Satisfaction: In the current survey, 53 percent of women
and 50 percent of men say they are satisfied with their jobs and not
looking for new opportunities, compared to 43 percent of women and 41
percent of men, who expressed satisfaction in Accenture's 2012
research.

Tenure: Two-thirds of women (66 percent) and three-quarters of
men (74 percent) have been with their current employers for more than
4 years.

Pay raises: The majority of respondents (58 percent of women;
64 percent of men) say they have asked for or negotiated a pay raise.
These findings continue a steady upward trend: 49 percent of women and
57 percent of men in our 2012 research asked for or negotiated a pay
raise, while 44 percent of women and 48 percent of men in the 2011
survey did the same.

Vacation and work: Three-quarters (75 percent) of respondents
report they work frequently or occasionally during paid time off,
generally checking email, catching up on work, working with no
distractions, and participating in conference calls (cited by 71
percent, 44 percent, 35 percent and 30 percent, respectively). At the
same time, 40 percent consider themselves workaholics.

Leaving: Top reasons for leaving a job include responsibilities
that don’t match a job description (38 percent), pay (38 percent) and
uninteresting work (34 percent).

Job search: When asked to name three things they would do to
start a job search, respondents cited looking on job boards for open
positions, contacting friends and others in their networks, and
updating online profiles and information (cited by 30 percent, 24
percent and 21 percent, respectively).

Accenture will celebrate International Women’s Day in approximately 40
countries, with a focus on its global women’s theme: Defining
success. Your way.

Research methodology

In November 2012, Accenture conducted an online survey of 4,100 business
executives from medium to large organizations in 33 countries:
Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark,
Finland, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan,
Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Saudi
Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden,
Switzerland, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and United
States. A minimum of 100 respondents from each country participated,
with the exception of Norway/Sweden/Denmark/Finland, where the combined
number of respondents totaled 200. Respondents were split evenly by
gender and were balanced by age and level in their organizations. The
margin of error for the total sample was approximately +/-2 percent. A
full report on the research, “Defining Success,” containing info
graphics, analysis of regional trends and other key highlights is
available at www.accenture.com.

About Accenture

Accenture is a global management consulting, technology services and
outsourcing company, with approximately 259,000 people serving clients
in more than 120 countries. Combining unparalleled experience,
comprehensive capabilities across all industries and business functions,
and extensive research on the world’s most successful companies,
Accenture collaborates with clients to help them become high-performance
businesses and governments. Through its Skills
to Succeed corporate citizenship focus, Accenture is committed to
equipping 500,000 people around the world by 2015 with the skills to get
a job or build a business. The company generated net revenues of US$27.9
billion for the fiscal year ended Aug. 31, 2012.